C148
"The Marchioness of Baslein."
As soon as I answered the question of who I would choose as a chaperone, Isidor began to cough, and I was startled.
"What's happening?"
"She..."
His well-formed lips softened for a moment.
"She is my aunt. It surprised me a bit because she's someone who cared a lot for me and took care of me for a long time."
"What?!"
This time I lost composure and dropped the tea cup I had in my hand.
She wasn't just a relative; she was a special aunt to Isidor.
Although I had the Marchioness of Baslein in mind as a companion, I hadn't had time to investigate her ancestry in detail.
The reason I chose her was for various motives.
Indeed, the Marchioness of Baslein was the lady chosen as a companion by Mia Binoche, who was the Flower of the Year in the original story.
She had a great reputation among noble ladies for her outstanding personality, and she was described as someone who made a name for herself as a flower in a small society.
And on her debutante day, Mia is attacked by monsters along with Madame Baslein, her chaperone, in the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace.
The development after that is obvious. Mia heals the gravely injured marchioness with divine power.
It's probably natural for her husband, the Marquess of Baslein, to support the benefactor of his wife, Mia Binoche.
"The novel will reach the part where the marchioness is gravely injured and healed..."
Anyway, the reason I chose her was because I wanted to confirm a certain hypothesis.
I wondered if the phenomenon of 'rifts' was deliberately created for Mia to play an active role.
Originally, I thought the rifts were a phenomenon caused by the weakening of the barrier, but after the incense ceremony, I was thinking about the rifts from a new perspective.
Now that I've preempted Mrs. Baslein, Mia will have no choice but to choose another option, and I wondered what the context would be after that.
If my assumption is correct, I could prevent Mrs. Baslein from getting hurt.
And besides.
I could confirm the hypothesis.
"Princess Deborah. May I ask why you chose my aunt as a chaperone among so many prestigious ladies?"
"I just... wanted to make a deal with the Marquess of Baslein, so I chose the wife of the marquess as a chaperone."
I coveted the trade route that the Marquess of Baslein possessed.
Situated on the southern coast, the Marquess of Baslein bordered the geographically nearest port to the Principality of Ferdin, the origin of coffee beans.
Traders from Ferdin, who are currently dealing with Armand, are entering the Azutea Empire through the land route along the Bornas Strait.
However, if you use the port of the Marquess of Baslein, you can cross the strait by the shortest route to reach the Principality of Ferdin.
In the end, she was chosen as a companion to secure the coffee trade route, which is the main element of Armand.
Eat pheasants and eat eggs. Grab the river crab and hit the ditch.
(Note: these two proverbs refer to "getting two benefits at once")
There was no better choice for me than the Marquess of Baslein.
"... Is it because of the coffee bean distribution channel?"
"Yes."
Isidor, who immediately understood my intentions, suddenly burst into laughter, like the first time I saw him in Blanchia.
"Haha! The princess must be the first in the history of the Empire to use her chaperone as a business channel. Well, that's why I fell in love with the princess."
I timidly rubbed my neck.
"When I looked at the sales receipts, I saw that traders from Ferdin were increasing the cost of green coffee."
It's not at a level that's dangerous enough to rush immediately.
However, securing new distribution channels for business expansion is an essential process, and I have the right to get ahead.
For various reasons, I thought that the Marchioness of Baslein was the most suitable to be my chaperone, but I believe she's a special person to Isidor.
"Wow, I'm suddenly nervous."
As I murmured softly while patting my chest, Isidor reached out and lightly caressed the back of my hand.
"Do you mind because she's my family?"
"Of course."
At first, I wanted to maintain a friendly relationship with the Baslein family, but now I sincerely want to get along with Isidor's aunt.
"... So, by the way, what is the Marchioness of Baslein like? What does she like?"
When I started asking questions actively, he chuckled softly.
"If she gets to know you a little, my aunt will like you as much as I do."
"You think that because you have a bean sheath*. I'm serious."
(Note: it's a Korean saying that means "to be blinded by love")
"I'm being objective."
Isidor murmured and scratched his chin with an ambiguous expression.
"In reality, even I, as a nephew, don't know what her clear preferences are. Because my aunt doesn't reveal her feelings well. She's a cautious person, always maintains her boundaries, and has a clear definition of her territory."
"I see."
"She's the type that's hard to persuade."
Isidor would have warned her in advance if she would be offensive when receiving gifts, but the Marchioness of Baslein seemed to be a person with great self-esteem.
"Still, Isidor gave me quite a few hints about her personality."
Contemplating, he took a coin out of his pocket.
The coin was the same on both faces.
It seemed like he had searched for a new one because he knew I was disappointed to have lost it.
My heart pounded with the kindness he showed me all the time.
The gold coin shone as if not much time had passed since it was minted, and he slowly placed it in my palm.
As if everything would be fine.
"If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do anything."
"I'll accept it. I'll use all the information you know wonderfully."
And I'll move her heart and persuade her my way.
Just like the Master, I bounced the lucky coin and caught it with the back of my hand, then smiled, and Isidor also looked at me and opened his mouth.
"Right. That would be good."
"..."
"Use everything that's available. I also like the fact that you try to do things with all available means and methods. However, you're neither selfish nor arrogant..."
"... Okay, stop."
"Haven't I even started yet? I could write a graduation thesis about the princess."
"Not that, the other!"
The tip of Isidor's shoe lifted the hem of his skirt and lightly brushed the area of his ankle bone. His cheeks warmed as he smiled strangely.
"They can't see it."
He said in a whisper.
"Anyway, we're in my house."
It was happening under the tablecloth, but I was shy, and it was too much to pretend to be calm in the face of this bold behavior.
"Being in the same house is a very dangerous place."
He rubbed the corners of his eyes, saying that even when he slept, he went crazy because he was in close quarters.
"How pathetic I was for those whose lower bodies controlled their brains..."
After making a significant noise, Isidor returned that night to the house with the vassals who had come to arrest him with a ghostly and terrifying face.
"He returned earlier than expected. I had no idea. Now that I think about it, being a magician, his head spins quickly."
"..."
"Oh no. I should have asked what class he's in."
While listening to my father's words, whether with regret or remorse, I bid him farewell until the carriage became small and disappeared from sight.
-------------------------
"This is the right to choose a chaperone."
I played with the colorful paper that said Flower of the Year.
As if to prove that I enjoyed the trust of the public, the imperial family seal was also engraved underneath.
And just in time, the Marchioness of Baslein, whom I'm aiming for, is staying in the capital.
According to the information, the Marquess of Baslein loves his wife very much but loves the sea and ships as much as his wife, so he doesn't go out very often from the estate.
Quite different from other prestigious family heads who often stayed in townhouses in the Yones or Horun districts, which have good infrastructure and are easy to socialize in.
Therefore, the Marchioness of Baslein seemed to take charge of social connections instead of the family head and managed townhouses and servants in the capital.
"In reality, if you want your children to be active in a key point, you have to be active in central social circles. Not all children can inherit the Southern Territories."
I pondered for a while as I read the information about the Baslein family and then jumped from my seat.
"Alright. As the saying goes, in times like this, 'live like a dog and spend like a king.'"
When a young lady, about to debut, requested a respected lady as her chaperone, it was customary to send an appropriate gift and flowers in advance.
But I wasn't planning to do it in moderation.
For that reason, I invited the owners of jewelry stores that are the most popular among ladies for my chaperone.
"Are you really going to spend that much, Princess?"
"Yes."
When I showed my budget on a sheet of paper, VIP catalogs displaying various jewelry designs piled up on my desk. Thanks to this, I could understand at a glance what jewelry styles most ladies envy recently.
While flipping through the catalog, I calmly inked my quills to write a letter to the Marchioness of Baslein.